Best places for a golfing holiday in the UK – words Alan Woods

Up and down the UK, there are hundreds of golf courses to try out – in Surrey alone, there are 141 – but finding the right one for you can be difficult.

Whether you want to take a golfing holiday in the UK, or you are ready to make the commitment to a new golfing course closer to home, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to play golf in the country.

Old Course

As the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world, Old Course is the ultimate UK golfing destination. It is unique in the fact it is a world-renowned course, yet still offers tee time to the general public. This full-18 course is operated by the St Andrews Links Trust.

Thanks to its iconic status, Old Course has played host to The Open Championship a whopping 29 times, the last being in 2015 when Zach Johnson was crowned champion. To give you time to take in everything that Old Course has to offer, we recommended booking a golfing trip with a company such as Scotia Golfing, who can guarantee you tee time on the course as well as offer luxury 5-star accommodation.

Dundonald Links

After being announced as the host of the 2017 Scottish Open, this course is quickly becoming a favourite with both amateur and professional golfers across the UK. With many of the world’s best golfers set to be in attendance, the venue is currently undergoing major veneration works, including expanded greens and new levelled areas to increase pin position areas.

Opening in 2003, the course was designed by renowned golf course architect Kyle Phillips, and offers everything you need for a day of golfing in Scotland.

Muirfield

As one of the oldest clubs in golf, the Muirfield club had its start in 1744 in Leith, before moving to East Lothian in 1891. Renowned across the globe, the club has played host to major championships, both on a professional and amateur level. Because of its exclusivity, members of the public can only use the Muirfield facilities on Tuesdays and Thursdays, including the course and the 1891 clubhouse.

Royal St George’s

Having hosted tournaments since 1880s, the Royal St George’s Golf Club offers one of England’s finest links courses. Its range of facilities include an open air driving range, a pitching area, practise nets and a practise putting green with bunkers. The Club also features a historic clubhouse offering refreshments and relaxation, with a mandatory jacket and tie dress code to keep everybody smart.

Royal Birkdale

Situated “in the heart of England’s golf coast”, the Royal Birkdale offers not only a full-18 course with the expert facilities you would expect, but a landscape that is teeming with endangered wildlife. Priding itself on being one of the UK’s most ecologically sensitive courses, Royal Birkdale helps to conserve the surrounding nature. Amongst the species available to see are dragonflies, grey herons, red squirrels, grasshoppers and sand lizards, as well as shrubs such as sea buckthorn.